\u201cIf (people) are not being held accountable for harm done, especially to children, that\u2019s a problem in society . . . it\u2019s a cancer when we don\u2019t see perpetrators held accountable,\u201d said Brandt.<\/p>\n
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While the Albertan said he hasn\u2019t read the Epstein files<\/a>, he said news reports of those named prominently in some of them and the fact there have been no arrests is troubling.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of people on every side politically (named in the files) . . . it shows a systemic rot that\u2019s unprecedented,\u201d said Brandt.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to stand up as the public, that this is corruption at the highest level in governments . . . it\u2019s very important there are denunciations and strong deterrents.\u201d<\/p>\n He also said Canada\u2019s federal government isn\u2019t doing enough to combat the scourge through its Bill C-16 that in part criminalizes coercive control, legislation he called \u201cextremely insufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul Brandt, co-chair of the Alberta Centre to End Trafficking in Persons, speaks to media during a conference at the Best Western Hotel in Calgary on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.<\/p>\n Airport safe room \u2018being used all the time,\u2019 says Brandt<\/p>\n Brandt was in Vancouver on Thursday to promote the role in battling human trafficking played by Canadian airports \u2014 which are often conduits for the activity.<\/p>\n Those have included the creation of a safe room at Calgary International Airport to help victims escape a life in sex trafficking.<\/p>\n The activist recalled going to inspect the site when it opened last fall in conjunction with the Calgary Airport Authority, when a young victim showed up, seeking refuge.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore we could even check it out, it had to be used \u2014 they were able to find the girl, bring her supports and get her home that same night,\u201d said Brandt.<\/p>\n Initially, there weren\u2019t high hopes for the room \u2014 that it\u2019d be more symbolic than practical, he said, \u201cbut it\u2019s being used all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n The safe room for victims of human trafficking at the Calgary International Airport that was opened last fall.<\/p>\n A similar refuge has been created at the Edmonton International Airport and others across the country, he said.<\/p>\n The Calgary room includes a computer, kitchenette and plush furniture, and was designed with input from a human trafficking survivor, said Brandt.<\/p>\n \u201cShe went through everything, the nook and cranny details, even the lighting, (recommending) cellphone chargers or cellphones that can\u2019t be traced, a fresh change of clothes, a shower, a cup of hot soup,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know the traffickers see the (airport) space as an opportunity and we want to disrupt that, make it the safest place in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Anybody can fight human trafficking\u2019<\/p>\n He said the main theme behind the sanctuaries is building trust with victims, who are often convinced by perpetrators that the authorities are their enemies.<\/p>\n For safety and security reasons, Brandt wouldn\u2019t disclose its location in the airport.<\/p>\n Users access the refuge in a number of ways, including informing authorities of their plight or being spotted by airport staff or law enforcement trained in identifying those being trafficked, said Brandt.<\/p>\n Victims and perpetrators can be identified at airports as individuals speaking for others or holding their identification, those controlled by a drug or by certain tattoos, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnybody can fight human trafficking,\u201d said Brandt.<\/p>\n The safe room at the Calgary International Airport provides a private space where individuals identified as at risk of human trafficking can access safety and support while next steps are coordinated with law enforcement and community agencies.<\/p>\n While the Calgary Airport Authority said a second safe room is not being planned, \u201cwe are exploring the idea internally as a future project.\u201d<\/p>\n A year ago, a senior Calgary police officer said human trafficking activity is increasing in Calgary with the city seen as a major hub for those crimes.<\/p>\n And the severity of those crimes is also intensifying, said police, with survivors being encountered who have been physically branded by traffickers.<\/p>\n The city has become a prime destination point for human trafficking involving sex workers due its lucrative nature, Acting Deputy Chief Jeff Bell told the Calgary police commission in late February, 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cCurrently, the trending (of activity) is going upwards and it\u2019s due, number one, to awareness and when we look at Calgary, it\u2019s a strong economic climate,\u201d said Bell at the time, adding Calgary\u2019s robust economic climate means those crimes fetch higher prices.<\/p>\n Police reported 260 incidents of\u00a0human trafficking\u00a0in Alberta from 2012 to 2022, according to Statistics Canada, but the number is suspected to be higher. In the past four years, 135 people have been arrested on trafficking offences, and 68\u00a0victims\u00a0have been supported by community partners.<\/p>\n In December 2024, the Alberta government announced it was investing $5.5 million in its latest round of grants for agencies working to prevent human trafficking and support victims<\/a>.<\/p>\n The funding is part of the $20 million budgeted by the province for anti-trafficking efforts over three years.<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ff90e85f009fdd9f555c876c1660084a.jpeg\"\/)
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